Chapter 11

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The next day, May and Brendan started heading for Rustburo City, where they would earn their first badge, the Stone Badge.

The trip was uneventful until they reached the entrance of Petalburg Forest. They saw two trainers arguing. May guessed it

was about Pokemon. "What's wrong? What are you two fighting about?" May decided to be part of this as well. "Hey, this is a

private conversation!" cried the girl, who was named Melonie. "My Sandslash could beat your Pikachu any day, any time! Besides,

Electric type Pokemon are weak against Ground types," said the boy, Ethan. "Well, I bet.." May started. "Would you just go away?"

shouted Melonie. "Well, I bet that I could beat both your Sandslash and Pikachu," said May. "But, May, you've only been in 1 battle,

with Damien. You don't think.." Brendan said. "Shut up! I can beat them with Torchic and Mudkip!" May snapped.

"Oh, really? Go, Pikachu!" cried Melonie, releasing the electric mouse. "Go, Torchic!" May shouted, releasing the little

bird. "A Torchic, huh? Big deal. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Melonie ordered. "Torchic, Quick Attack!" May cried. She knew how

powerful Thunderbolt was, because of her own Pikachu. Gaining extra speed because of the Quick Attack, Torchic successfully

dodged the electricity. "Torchic, finish it of with an Ember!" Pikachu fainted after being engulfed in flames.

"Ha! Some Pokemon! Let a pro show you how to do it! Go, Rocky!" cried Ethan. May assumed that 'Rocky' was the Sandslash she

had heard about earlier. "Go, Mudkip! Start off with a Water Gun attack!" May shouted. "Mud!" Mudkip said, charging up the attack.

Then Mudkip initiated it's attack. His Water Gun washed over the Rock Pokemon. "Saand!" Rocky cried in pain.

It fell to the ground and didn't move. "That was almost too easy," May said.

Suddenly, Mudkip lit up bright, illuminating the field for several dozen meters around.

Soon, the tiny Mudkip was no longer tiny. It was half the size of May. "Your Mudkip evolved, May. Into Marshtomp," Brendan

said. "Cool!" May said. "Oh, Sandslash.." Ethan moaned, kneeling down to examine his Pokemon. May rummaged through her backpack

and found a Potion. "Here, take this," May offered. "I don't need help from you," Ethan snapped. "Come on, take it. I don't want to see

your Sandslash hurt," May said. Ethan hesitated, then took it.

Then something struck May. She turned to Torchic, who by the way was never returned to it's Pokeball.

"How come you haven't evolved? You were my first Pokemon, after all. Don't you think by now you would've evolved?" May asked.

Torchic shrugged. "Tor tor torchic (I don't know)" it said. "Do you think something's wrong with it?" asked Brendan.

"I don't know," May said. She decided to forget about it and they entered Petalburg Forest.